First Encounters
by Cathleen18
Summary: Nick and Sara's first encounter. NickSara friendship.


**First Encounters**

**Summary**: Nick and Sara's first encounter. NickSara friendship.

**A.N.**: This takes place in the _Pilot_/_Cool Change_ universe when Nick and Sara meet for the first time. So there may be slight spoilers. And it may seem a little OOC for Sara.

* * *

Nick walked over to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup. He took a sip and cringed. "Eurgh!"

"Coffee's bad, huh?" someone said from the doorway. Nick turned to the voice. "Let me guess; you're Nicholas Stokes."

"Call me Nick. And you are?" Nick asked, extending his free hand to shake hers.

"Sara Sidle," she shook his gracefully.

Realisation set in, "Ah."

"I take it you've heard of me." She reached behind Nick to grab a glass off the side. She then stepped to the refrigerator and took out a can of soda.

"Your name has cropped up a few times." He took a seat on the sofa in the break room. Nick gestured for Sara to sit next to him. She did, albeit reluctantly.

Greg Sanders, the wacky lab tech she'd just met, had informed her of Nick's womanising background, but seeing Nick for herself, she could see why he slept with so many women: Nick was irresistible.

"You've probably heard that I'm a workaholic; I'm a hard-ass bitch who, like Grissom, doesn't let people get too close." Nick saw the hurt flash across her face.

"Actually, no. All I've heard is that you're here to conduct our internal investigation of Warrick. And from what I can tell, you're doing a pretty good job."

"Oh, thanks," she said, relieved.

"But I'll keep in mind that you're a workaholic." He flicked the TV on and settled down for the news update. Sara watched him out of the corner of her eye for a while, judging for herself that Nick wasn't the sort of person Greg had described him to be.

Nick felt Sara's eyes on him and bit back his smile. He knew he was going to get on with her very well.

* * *

It was an hour before the end of shift, and Nick had spent 20 minutes finding Sara, finally tracking her down in the first layout room he'd looked in.

"Hey Sara. How you doing?" he asked, stepping into the room.

"Okay, under the circumstances. You know Holly died 20 minutes ago." She looked back down at the paper in her hand, sighing sadly.

"Yeah, I know. I can't believe it. And Warrick just disappearing from the scene like that!" Nick exclaimed, sitting on a stool across the table from Sara.

"Yeah," Sara whispered in agreement. She sniffed.

"Sara?"

"What?" Sara looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked, walking over to her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm fine; just…all this is a little close to home for me." She sniffed again, placing a hand on one of Nick's. Nick looked at her sympathetically. "I lost someone on the job." Nick didn't ask who; he just squeezed her shoulder supportively, silently letting him know that he was there for her. "Anyway," she started, gathering up the files and paper on the table, "I'm going to go refill my coffee. I'll see you later."

Nick watched Sara leave the room. He would be there for her when she was ready to tell him, he knew that much.

* * *

Nick joined everyone else outside the LVPD, waiting with them to watch Holly's killer be led to his new home for life. Most likely though, he'd be shown the chair. Holly was, after all, a member of law enforcement. Things like this weren't taken lightly.

Sara gave him a grateful smile, waving her hand slightly in greeting. When the murderer was finally led out of the door, Sara went and stood by his side. Nick placed his hand on the small of her back.

After the car had driven away, Nick whispered in her ear softly, "Fancy going to get some breakfast?"

"Sure," she nodded slightly. "Just us?"

"Yeah; Cath's going home to see her daughter, Lindsey; Griss will no doubt be drinking with Brass, something that never fails to amuse me; and Warrick is, well, Warrick isn't in the mood to be around people."

"Oh, okay." Sara turned to Nick so she was facing him. He left his hand on the small of her back, so she had no choice but to be close to him. "I was kinda hoping it would be just us anyway. I need to talk to you."

"About earlier?" Nick asked; Sara nodded. "Okay. Let's go." He steered her to the passenger side of his Denali and opened her door. Once she was strapped in, he went around to the driver's side and did the same. He started the engine and drove to a café a little away from the lab.

* * *

They ordered their food and started talking. First about little things, like bits about the job, the past, family; things to ease in what Sara wanted to say really.

"Do you want to know why I got upset earlier? Why Holly's death felt 'a little close to home'?" Sara said, looking over the rim of her coffee cup to Nick.

He nodded, "But only if you want to tell me."

She sighed and took another sip of her drink. She coughed to clear her throat and started… "It was a little over a year ago. Gerry, my husband, who is a CSI in San Francisco, was caught in a war between two rival gangs." She stopped and wiped a tear away. "I was there. He fought to stay alive for an hour before his body went into shock; and his heart just stopped beating." She sniffed and sipped her cold coffee; cringing at the bitter liquid.

"Oh Sara," Nick said, choking on his words. He reached over and squeezed her hand supportively.

"I was glad when Grissom phoned. This is a chance to start a new life for me. I grabbed it with both hands without hesitation," she squeezed Nick's hand back and smiled. "And I don't regret leaving. There were too many memories; too many ghosts. My parents, and Gerry's parents, agreed that it would be the best thing for me."

"So, you're planning on staying then?"

"Yeah; Grissom asked me earlier if I wanted to take a permanent job here. Las Vegas; I've got to get used to this." They both chuckled and ate their food in a comfortable silence.

Sara loved Las Vegas already; working at CSI LV would be a good change for her, and being friends with Nick was a welcome bonus.

END


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